Posts Made By: Thomas Holst

After reading that article I get the feeling we're all in an overloaded boat in a rainstorm and Obama is drilling holes in the hull to let the water out. With leadership like this, we're screwed.

Bill,

The combination you're using seems to be producing acceptable results. The biggest problem in macrophotography is Depth of Field; the closer you get, the shallower the plane of sharp focus. The lack of DOF will often overpower the slight loss of sharpness toward the edges. The best way to try to work within this limitation is to physically back off from your subject a little and increase the focal length (zoom) of your lens to a "portrait" setting. This will increase your DOF a little and give a more natural perspective. It also has the effect of flattening the field of the lens a little, which improves edge sharpness.

Depending on the close focus capability of your lens, you may not need the auxiliary close up lens in some instances. It's usually best to avoid using the CU lens unless it is absolutely necessary, to provide best image quality.

I wouldn't use anything but materials made specifically for visual solar observing. The possible hazard involved is not worth saving a few bucks. I only use either my Thousand Oaks glass filter or my Baader Film filter.

Jon Isaacs said:

All in all a very sad situation and it's probably worth considering what to do if faced with a similar situation with your own car...

It's actually pretty simple and should be the natural result of most drivers' panic reaction; just mash down on the brake pedal until the car stops. I have yet to drive a car that couldn't be stopped with the brakes, even with the throttle stuck wide open. If you can't stop your car in this manner, then either you need new brakes or your car has way too much horsepower.

On a side note, nearly all driving instruction programs in the US are terribly inadequate. Little if any time is spent on driving (or not driving) in inclement weather, handling emergency situations, and decision making. Too many drivers, when faced with the unexpected, throw up their hands and think "Ooh, what do I do?!". It's a good thing Capt. Chesley Sullenberger didn't do that.

John,

I have two grab-n-go setups, depending on where I'm going:

1. TV76 on a TV Gibraltar mount. ($pendy)

2. TV Pronto on a TV Telepod head on a heavy bogen tripod. (All used, cost me less than $700)

Each takes less than 5 minutes to set up and provides quality viewing.

Randy Holst
Boise, Idaho

Ivan,

Very nice setup. Do you really prefer the TV Starbeam over a Telrad? Why? (Just wondering.)

Here's my idea of a good use for unmanned helicopters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW150U-RuTE&feature=related

Wow! All this hostility generated by a simple cartoon. It's almost like a river of ectoplasm which feeds on negative vibes.

I bought my wife the Sangean PR-D7, which is pretty much a mono version of the PR-D5. Great little portable AM/FM radio and she loves it. I then bought my daughter a Sangean DT-400W as she likes the pocket size AM/FM radio with NOAA weather channels. Until I bought these radios, I'd never heard of Sangean. They make surprisingly good products.

Also, regarding the Boston Acoustics table radios, I've used their "Recepter" radio (mono version) for several years as my garage radio. It produces a surprisingly big sound from a small package and it does have station presets. They're just not obvious because there are no rows of buttons. Instead, you turn a knob with detents, which works just as well. The Recepter is apparently no longer in production, replaced by the BA "Solo" table radio. It appears to be a newer version and it also has station presets. The stereo version of this radio is called the "Duo".

Lee,

Even though the Toyota Corolla has 5 seats, it's really not built for filling all the seats and the trunk, easily exceeding the maximum rated payload. The car is intended to be an economical commuter car for a couple people or a putting around town car for a mom and a couple kids. (It reminds me of the 4-seat Cessna 172 which can only get safely off the ground with 3 average sized adults and no baggage.) If you feel that you would regularly exceed the weight limit of the Corolla, I'd suggest looking for a car with greater capacity. It will drive better, last longer, and you'll be safer.

Exceeding the weight limits set by the manufacturer by 100 lb. won't make the car fall apart as soon as you exit your driveway, but they are real design limits set by engineers. In the long run, you'll pay for it one way or another. Aside from extra load on the drive train and suspension, the brakes were designed to handle a specific maximum gross vehicle weight. Exceed that and they will wear out faster and might not maintain their effectiveness when you really need them. Tires are another concern. My brother-in-law used to have a 3/4-ton Suburban which he occasionally overloaded and towed a large boat with, resulting in repeatedly blowing out good quality rear tires. He never payed attention to the load limits of the vehicle and tires.

If you are an unusually large person, you may also be exceeding the design limits of the driver's seat and seat belt anchor points, even though you "fit" in the car. Small economy cars like the Corolla use every opportunity to keep vehicle weight down by employing thinner sheet metal everywhere. A rear end collision could break the seat loose under your weight. A larger, heavier car would likely be a bit sturdier for a larger person.

I once owned a Toyota Corolla. It was a great, economical little car for me and my wife at the time. For the past 25 years we've been driving medium sized Volvos, a wagon for me and a sedan for the wife, rated for a payload close to 1,000 lb. and only carrying 3 people and some luggage on long trips. The cars handle the load well and still get 28~30 mpg on the freeway. After my wife got rear-ended, totaling her old Volvo sedan, she wouldn't let me replace it with anything less than a newer Volvo sedan. There's a lot to be said for a little larger, heavier built vehicle.